The Yellow Store was the third of three storehouses built at Upper Fort Garry between 1840 and 1850. The name ‘Yellow Store’ comes from the colour of its plaster coat. The building’s walls were yellow because they were never covered with wooden boards. Why was this store different? Some scholars think the third store was built by a different carpenter; others suggest that the Settlement possessed less timber at this time and that plaster was cheaper.

The two and a half storey building measured roughly 72 by 32 feet and had a hip roof, peaking at 27 feet. The filling inside the walls, called ‘nogging,’ was made of stone and mortar. The building stood for at least forty years on its solid foundation which was likely made of wood. Usually, wooden foundations were built upon trenches filled with rubble that helped water drain and enabled the wood to breathe rather than rot. Rubble – unlike packed clay – also helped stabilize against frost heaving which happens when the water in soil freezes and swells, sometimes unsettling a building.